I have been asked by many individuals to write a post on how my family saves money…so here it is! Grab a coffee and enjoy the read!

The Muslimah Mommy’s Frugal Tips – Groceries

Coupons – There are many online companies that will mail out coupons to you, or even give you the option of printing out coupons from your home. Since using coupons, I have saved hundreds of dollars!

Price Match– Most grocery stores will match the price of an identical product from another grocery store, thus saving you time and gas money!

Stock Up On Sale Items – Stock up on items that have a long expiry date, and that you use most often; I usually stock up on pasta, diapers, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.

Meal Plans & Grocery Lists – Plan out your meals for the week, and buy the items you need for those meals. Always go to the grocery store with a list, and stick to the list as best as you can…oh yeah, don’t forget the golden rule of never going grocery shopping on an empty stomach!

Try Generic Products – Often times, generic items are just as good as the brand name items. Personally, I have found some generic products that are even better than name brands ones, such as my super cheap but awesome dish sponges!

Buy In Bulk – Buying a larger package is often less expensive than buying a smaller package. What do I ALWAYS buy in bulk? SUGAR AND FLOUR!

Stay Away From Pre-Packaged Foods – When you purchase pre-packaged foods items, you are paying for the labour that went into that package as well. Thus, it is much more cost effective to do the labour yourself. For example, don’t buy the pre-cut salad; instead buy all the items for the salad and cut everything yourself.

Check The Clearance Section – Items near their expiry date are less expensive, and can often be found on a clearance rack.

Eat In – A fresh, home cooked meal is not only good for you, but it will cost less too!

The Muslimah Mommy’s Frugal Tips – Baby and Children Expenses

Hand-Me-Downs – Keep all of your oldest child’s clothes and belongings for any future children. If you are a first time parent, then ask your friends and relatives if they have any of their children’s clothing you can use for your baby.

Buy Gender Neutral Items – If you are planning on having more than one child, then buy gender neutral items, such as crib bedding, strollers, diaper shirts, etc.

End of the Season Sales – You will save a large amount of money by exploring end of season sales. For instance, just before spring starts, check out all the winter gear that is on sale. My best bargains were a winter jacket for $5 and and snow pants for $3!

Garage Sales and Online Classified Sites – Garage sales and online classified sites are great places to search for slightly used and inexpensive items.

Free Library Programs – Children get bored often, and this is when you’ll want to take advantage of the FREE library programs and events for children. Programs include Lego building hour, story time, puppet shows, and much more!

Check Your City Website – Go online, and check out your city’s website for free children events throughout the year. Furthermore, you may find that there are certain days where admission to the zoo and other attractions are FREE, or offered at a discount price.

The Muslimah Mommy’s Frugal Tips – Lifestyle

Carpool – Not only is carpooling good for the environment, but it is also a great way to save money on gas.

Sell Your Talent – If you have a talent, why not make money off of it! For instance, you can offer to sew or alter a clothing item for a fee, or bake a cake for a local event.

DIY Projects – Attempt simple DIY projects instead of paying someone else to do them…but be realistic in what you can actually do. For instance, perhaps you cannot remodel an entire bathroom top to bottom, but maybe you can re-tile the bathroom floor yourself and change the sink faucet…or maybe just the sink faucet…

There you go my friends, I hope you will take these tips into consideration and save yourself hundreds of dollars per year, I know I have!

Sumaira Zaheer is a Canadian born mom of four beautiful children that keep her on her toes! Sumaira is also a chocoholic, a chai drinker, maxi dress wearer, and is a huge believer in peace, positivity, and prayer!
by Sumaira Zaheer | 10 Comments

Thank you so much! After my decision to not go back to work after my maternity leave, I sat down and started coming up with ways on how my family can save money. It’s amazing how much money you can save over the years!